My Spring Break Fiasco

Chapter Eleven - Night at the Opera (EDITED)

Chapter Eleven

“Look out at the world.

Spinning below us.

Don’t you feel just like a bird?

I know I can’t

Find my way up here

Without you to guide my heart, girl.”

From “Treasure Map”,

-Originally Performed by Kyle King.

-

            “Are you absolutely sure about this?” I whispered, peering around the velvet and gilt lobby of the Orlando Conservatory of Music.

            “Absolutely.” Levi grinned.

            “But the tickets must have cost a fortune.” I groaned, brushing a stray piece of lint from the sleeve my black velvet dress. It was a good thing I’d listened to Lily and brought a fancy outfit to Florida. She’d been ecstatic when I’d called earlier, confiding Levi’s cryptic text message to ‘wear something nice’ on our date.

            It appeared that the planned destination for that nice outfit was the newest opera by Pierre St.Claude, world renowned composer and author of such masterpieces as Dark Horses and Bitterwood.

            “Emma. I’ve got a job. It’s fine.” He reassured me, offering me his strong arm as we inched down the red carpet of the auditorium’s aisle, towards our seats in the middle of the house. The show was packed, and people were crowded together, looking at the numbers on the rows of padded benches as they searched for their designated seats.

            “All right.” I nodded, slightly relieved. “Frankly, I can’t believe you got tickets at such short notice! “I’ve been dying to see The Forgotten Sister since it came to New York! I even asked my parents for tickets as an early birthday present, to no avail. Apparently every single show sold out within twenty minutes.”

            “Can you keep a secret?” He grinned, stooping closer to whisper in my ear. “I bought these tickets six months ago. I’ve simply lacked an excuse to use them.”

            “No!” I gasped. “A country boy like you enjoys the opera?” I covered my mouth in shock. “It cannot be!”

            “Laugh all you want.” He replied. “You’ll be singing a different tune when I get up and sing an aria midway through the intermission.”

            “I’d like to see that.” I laughed. Just then, I tripped over the shoe of the man in front of us, jolting forward precariously in my dressy heels. Levi caught me and held on tightly, tucking my arm more securely into his own.

            “Come on, Twinkletoes.” He teased. “We’ll get you into your seat in one piece if it’s the last thing I ever do.”

            “It just might be,” I raised an eyebrow, “if you ever call me that ridiculous nickname again.”

            “What, would you rather I refer to you as the Empress of Clutzes?” He laughed. “How about the Lovely leader of the gravitationally challenged?”

            “Watch it, Mister.” I warned. “Or you just might lose your excuse to watch this opera.”

            “I don’t think so.” He pursed his lips and looked thoughtfully at the stage. “You see, I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time now and—I’m afraid to say—you, Miss Black, simply cannot resist me.”